Flores Waco Mammoth Bill Passes Committee Markup

Statement

Today,the House Natural Resources Committee passed with bipartisan support H.R. 1545, the Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 2011, and it will now go to the full House for a vote. U.S. Congressman Bill Flores (R-Texas) introduced this legislation along with Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) to establish the internationally recognized Waco, Texas paleontological site as a discovery of national significance. This bill, introduced in both the House and Senate, would designate the site as the Waco Mammoth National Monument and include it as a unit of the National Park Service. U.S. Flores released the following statement on H.R. 1545:

"Currently,the National Park Service (NPS) has a $10 billion backlog. Given our country's current fiscal situation, H.R. 1545, the Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 2011, has been drafted to provide the national recognition the site deserves without adding additional burdens to the federal budget or backlog to the NPS.It is time to develop a new model to leverage the support of committed local citizens and supporters in order to protect, maintain and promote the assets of national significance, while at the same time avoiding additional strains on precious taxpayer resources.

"I am proud to bring this bill to the full House for a vote so that we may give Central Texas the opportunity to lay claim to the unique history of an extinct species, while ensuring the preservation of the site and helping to promote tourism from all over the world. I am hopeful that this legislation will pass both the House and Senate so that the national recognition will maximize the value of the Waco Mammoth National Monument as a true national treasure."

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